Cartagena to Puerto Rico

[Extravagancia]

We are now in Cartagena where we spent the hurricane season since July. We now would like to go back to the BVI and then the Leeward Islands and south... what would be the route you guys would suggest...? Thanks!

[skipmac]

Made the trip from Panama to the USVI in winter trades years ago. It was blowing steady and hard NE winds the whole trip across the Caribbean. What I ended up doing is sailing as close to the wind as was comfortable until I made the south coast of Hispaniola which blanketed the 25-30 kt trade winds then turned and sailed and motor sailed due east off the coast until we got to the VI.


I think that worked better than trying to go east along the coast of South America plus these days I wouldn't want to get anywhere near the coast of Venezuela.

[wingssail]

In the December time frame, and further into January and later, the winds in the central Caribbean are east or north east. It shifts. Some days the wind is almost East, other times it is much more N. Generally the winds are 20 -25kts, or less, once you get away from the coast of South America.

So the strategy I would use is:

Go as far NE along Colombia as you can. At least to Santa Marta. Hug the coast.

Wherever you can get to you stop and wait for a weather window of Easterly winds, not North East winds.

Then sail north on starboard tack at your best angle, keeping as comfortable a point of sail as possible until you reach Dominican Republic, (or Haiti, or, worst case, Jamaica).

From there you proceed eastward. It will be mostly in the shelter of the big islands but tough going for a period going across the Mona Channel, and Puerto Rico probably, but then you be into the Virgin Islands, and Bob's your uncle.

[Extravagancia]

Thank you very much for your comments.

[chuckr]

Did I a few years ago. 5 days if I remember correctly to the top of Jamaica and then turned south. Got within 20nm of Jamaica and just could not get south so pulled the sails and motored the last few miles.


Wind was steady at 10-20 for the entire trip from the NE.